I actually sat down to write about something else today, but keep going back to my post yesterday about Autism. My intention was to write about what we're going through as parents and help people understand and not judge families that are going through similar situations. Not judging is the wrong way to say what I'm feeling... more like helping people gain empathy for others around them. It seems like the more I involve myself in other people's lives and focus on them and their needs, the more my problems disappear. So for those parents who think there might be something wrong with their child's development here are some things that need to be done to help get them the help they need.
They're called IEPs or Individualized Education Programs. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and really to get any extra services paid for by school districts or insurance an IEP is required. Under the Code of Federal Regulations, the schools have a responsibility to assess and make goals for the child to progress enough to be incorporated into a classroom with other children without disabilities. A major realization to me over the past couple of months is that the school will eventually put my daughter in a classroom with children that have no disabilities. Maybe it's a lack of faith on my end, but that scares me in thinking that she'll be slower than other kids her age; and in her classroom her peers think that she's not like them. My biggest fear is the lack of understanding these young children have and she will eventually be ostracized or made fun of even though there is nothing she did to deserve a label like that. I was young once and I look back at my sheltered upbringing. I didn't have people close to me to give me a reality check of how diverse this world really is. Sorry back to the IEP...
This link gives the government's description of what an IEP is for and what can be done for the child once it's completed. This doesn't have to be solely for those with major intellectual delays, I have people close to me whose children are slower at reading and they ordered an IEP just to see if there was something wrong. It's not a label in anyway! So many parents are afraid or in denial about their children's progression that they don't get any testing or assessing done because they don't want to know what is really going on. Studies have shown that the earlier the detection and intervention the more progress the children will make later on. Their brain is like a sponge and the younger the therapy starts the more progress they are likely to make. I don't know a parent in the world who wouldn't put their child through 6 months of therapy to make sure they catch up with their peers in any area of progression. If your child is slow at reading, speach, processing or anything that might hinder their progress, find out what's going on. It's like a salesman's way of thinking; open your mouth to get the sale and the worst thing they can say is no. If the worst thing that happens is you find out nothing is wrong with your child... where do you lose in that scenario? You don't! I will write more about the actual process of an IEP tomorrow and what to expect both on your end and the end of the people across the table from you. It can get dicey, but knowledge is power and the more you know the more results you will get.
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